Transceiver modules have a transmitter or driver and a receiver. Such transceiver modules are first of all subjected, in the characterization phase, to complicated and time-consuming measurements which can be used to determine whether they satisfy the prescribed specification. If a transceiver module has successfully passed through the characterization phase, it means that there are no errors caused by the circuit design and that the transceiver modules are accordingly within the prescribed specifications.
During the production phase of these transceiver modules, it is often impossible to check whether the transceiver modules comply with the specification parameters since these tests are very time-consuming and require very expensive tester equipment, with the result that transceiver modules are often not tested during production for reasons of cost and efficiency. Examples of such test methods are given in M. F. Toner, G. W. Roberts, “A BIST Scheme for a SNR, Gain Tracking and Frequency Response Test of a Sigma-Delta ADC”, IEEE Trans. Circ. Syst. II, vol. 42, pp. 1-15, 1995 and K. Arabi, B. Kaminska, “Oscillation Built-in Self-test (OBIST) Scheme for Functional and Structural Testing of Analog and Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuits”, IEEE Design & Test of Computers, 1996. Therefore, it cannot be precluded that, during the production process, individual transceiver modules or even entire batches will violate the prescribed specifications and thus become unusable as a result of unfavorable fluctuations in the process parameters coinciding.
JP 03-169127 shows a compensation circuit for a transceiver, in which parts of the transmitted signal are subtracted from the received signal. This circuit is not suitable as a test circuit for an integrated circuit.